


Brilliant and Unloved

by typewrittencurlie



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alpha John, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Background Relationships, Doctor John Watson, Established Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade, John Watson Loves Sherlock Holmes, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Minor Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade, Mycroft Being a Good Brother, Mycroft Holmes IS the British Government, Omega Sherlock, Omega Verse, Protective John, Sherlock Holmes Has Feelings, Sherlock Holmes Loves John Watson, Sherlock is a Mess, Will people ever stop criticizing my smut?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:15:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23111560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/typewrittencurlie/pseuds/typewrittencurlie
Summary: Sherlock Holmes wasn't your typical pup making machine of an Omega, as the large Soulmark on his forearm clearly said. He was tall, taller than most people he met, and lanky. He worked as a sergeant at the Met, unusual for his secondary gender.John Watson wasn't your typical Alpha, as the large Soulmark on HIS inner forearm attested to. He promised himself that when he found the Omega who was destined to be his mate that he would love and care for them as long as he lived.When the two men meet under less than ideal circumstances, their destinies can't be ignored. But how in the Hell can John convince his traumatized Omega that he would never force him into anything?
Relationships: Mycroft Holmes & Greg Lestrade, Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade, Mycroft Holmes/Lestrade, Sherlock Holmes & John Watson, Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Comments: 22
Kudos: 234





	1. Brilliant and unloved.

* * *

_°Sherlock°_

It was too much. I gasped and rutted against my mattress, trying my best not to let anyone in the house know I was in the middle of my first heat.

No one told me it would be this overpowering.

No one said I would feel pain as the unfulfilled want coursed through my fifteen year old body, as I cried for an Alpha's knot to fill me.

I reached down to slip my fingers into my leaking entrance, and cried out at the sensation. I came, hot and sticky, all over my sheets after a few minutes of carefully fucking myself with my hand. My room positively _reeked_ with the pungent pheromones of an Omega's first heat, and the slick covering my inner thighs was cold as I stripped my bed.

A peculiar itchiness was starting to crop up on my upper forearm, but I paid it no mind while I wrapped myself in a robe and snuck to the kitchen to toss my bedding into the wash before the next round came.

Myc was already in the kitchen, munching on one of Mummy's special biscuits for the bake sale. Myc was an Omega like me, and once he caught my scent his sympathy was evident. He knew the problems a male Omega had to face as we tried to make our way in the world. He began to mask his scent when he was given a job in the civil service, so that people would finally take him seriously.

"Sherl, Mummy told you not to come out until your heat had calmed," Myc took the sheets from me and tossed them into our rickety washing machine, and he sighed. "I know that it's hard, but Mummy's disappointed that we couldn't have been Alphas, like her."

"You know that people can't choose their secondary gender, My," I mumbled, itching at my arm. "I don't want to be an Omega any more than you."

"Sherlock, your arm, let me see it." I held it out, and became fascinated with the large discoloration that was ever so slowly resolving into a house crest.

"It's a Soulmark, Sherl... People don't get these anymore, I... You can't take any other mate than the Alpha who bears this crest. It'll be alright." Myc picked up another one of the biscuits and handed it to me with a rueful smile. "I guess Mummy can shove her disappointment up her you-know-what... You are better than what she thinks. Greg will get you an 'in' to Scotland Yard when you graduate, and you have my permission as the force behind the Government to kick the arse of any Alpha who gets in your way."

I grinned, shoving the ginger biscuit into my mouth and going back up to my room, so that I could examine the Soulmark without getting bothered. I flipped on my desk lamp, watching the blurry lines resolve into the shape of a shield, one of blue and green, featuring a Raven for the Holmes clan, and a lion. A lot of clans had some form of lion as part of their crest, but this one was unfamiliar to me.

I sighed, turning off the light as I waited for my heat to ramp up again. 

I already hated being an Omega, and I hadn't even had to push a messy, loud, drooly pup out of my cloaca yet.

Hopefully I never would.

* * *

_°John°_

I laid in bed one night a few months before my nineteenth birthday, and was suddenly just horny as hell. I still hadn't presented yet, which bothered Mum and Dad, but I knew that I wasn't _too_ late. I started to stroke my aching cock, and was surprised to feel a knot inflating at the base of my larger than usual member.

Well, that solved Mum's irrational worry that I was a Beta. I'd officially presented as another Alpha Watson, and as I released a seemingly endless stream of come into my hand, I felt a peculiar itchiness on the skin of my forearm.

I ignored it, quickly showering the sweatiness off, and took extra care with my manhood, not wanting to hurt my slowly deflating knot. I was rather sensitive down there, and slipped into an old pair of loose sweatpants before climbing back in bed.

I went down to breakfast the next morning, and Mum immediately noticed the change in my scent. She smiled proudly, and made me up a plate of her famous Egg Sandwiches. Harry my - also Alpha - sister waved at me from her spot at the breakfast bar, and her eyes widened in shock as I waved back.

I frowned, looking down at my arm and was surprised to see a large house crest spread across the skin below the crease of my elbow. "Mum, look." I held out my arm to her, asking, "Is that a Soulmark?"

"Yes, John. I think that you're going to be surprised to see who your mate will be." She looked up, grinning. "You'll find them soon enough."

"Can't you just tell me who it is and I can go ahead and find them?" I asked, as I grabbed my plate and sat next to my dad. "Dad, you can tell me, can't you?"

"And ruin the surprise? Of course not. John, finding your Omega is half the battle. If we just said, go down two blocks, and knock on a door, you wouldn't learn anything." Dad chucked as I growled softly, grumbling about how parents are supposed to help their children.

That day, I registered as another Alpha Watson, something my family was known for, and my Soulmark was verified to be genuine. Soulmarks were exceedingly rare nowadays, only a handful of freshly presented pairs a year receiving the sign of the gods meddlings in human affairs. Usually, however, you were more likely to get one if your recent family history showed the trait.

Apparently my Soulmark was spontaneous. No one in the Watson clan had had a Soulmark in seventy years.

I decided to keep my Mark hidden as I finished med school, and started my residency at the emergency room of Bart's medical hospital. No one really needed to know about it, and I just let fate bring my Omega to me.

* * *

_°Sherlock°_

I stumbled home, utterly exhausted after an eleven hour shift at Scotland Yard, grumbling about how the other sergeants all made it more difficult for me because I was an Omega. I made it back to my shitty studio flat on Montague street, carefully avoiding my Alpha neighbors.

No one really approved of an Omega being a sergeant at the Met, but hell, no one really approved of an Omega being anything but a housewife, or perhaps a secretary. I was faced with the growing desire to mask my scent and somehow find a different career, because even though I was fond of my brother's husband, DI Greg Lestrade, I wasn't fond of the rest of the Alphas and Betas on the force.

I really wished they would stop asking me about my heats. I had been on suppressants ever since I graduated school, and I hadn't had a heat in over seven years.

Mummy had stopped trying to get me to be a normal Omega and seek out my Alpha years ago, when she realized I am even more stubborn than Myc. I mean, come on, as if Miranda Holmes' progeny could ever be _normal._

I managed to somehow make it to my flat without being accosted by one of my neighbors, thank the gods, and I took my suppressant as soon as I'd kicked off my shoes and hung my coat up. It was a little late, but the medication was strong enough to prevent a heat for a while longer, so I was safe. I laid back on my ratty mattress, staring at the water stained ceiling of my flat, and listened to the mice scurry in the walls.

I wondered, not for the first time, why people were so hung up on the roles you played in society. Why did Omegas have to stay at home, cooking and cleaning, while the Alphas and Betas made the income?

It was one of the many social injustices that kept me up at night, but by far the one that hit the closest to home.

* * *

_°Sherlock°_

"So, clearly, it was suicide," I said to Greg, rolling my eyes at his foolishness. He nodded, and told me that he would take care of the paperwork, and I shrugged, shutting down my computer in my cubicle at the Yard. I was immensely glad that Greg had put in a good word for me with the superintendent, but there was so much damn _paperwork._

Nauseating.

I took the tube to my bank, getting out my rent, so I could pay my Alpha landlord. He was nice enough, though I often felt his eyes on my backside. Going home, taking the tube once more, with my cash securely in my satchel, I stopped by Jim's office.

I heard a rushed, "Come on in!" And I could smell Jim's agitation. I looked at him critically as I fumbled in my bag for the envelope containing this month's rent.

"Sherlock, how are you doing?" He asked, and I smelled the change from him simply being agitated to him being very much aroused, noting the dilated pupils, as I looked at him.

"I'm not going to sleep with you, not now not ever, do put it out of your mind." I growled softly to prove my point, and held out the damn money. When he didn't take it, simply stating at the exposed skin of my neck, and the spot where my Alpha would place his bond mark. When I detected subtle shifts in his scent, I became nervous.

I turned to leave, only to have him grab my thin wrist and jerk me back. He shoved me over his desk, my lack of caloric intake today making me too weak to fight back. I truly needed to rethink my insistance on not eating while on a case.

I scrabbled at the papers covering his desk as he rutted against me, almost penetrating me through our clothes with the force of his thrusts. My hand found a large decorative letter opener, just as _his_ hand moved towards the fly of my trousers.

I swung it around, catching him on the thigh, and he jerked away, swearing loudly. I ran to the door, only to have Jim's fist collide with my face, and his hand close over my upper arm, making me twist out of his grip hard enough to break my bone.

I ran, out the door, away from the building, and into the street, nearly getting hit by a couple in their small car. My bastard of a landlord followed me as far as the door, but no further as the man in that car got out to see what was going on.

"Are you alright, sir?" He asked me, as I shook and struggled not to keep running far, far away from this city. "Jan, call the police, this poor Omega was attacked!"

I looked over to the building, seeing him go back inside, and I told the Beta who had almost hit me, "I need to go to hospital... please, can you..." I flinched violently, as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, easy there, I'm not going to hurt you. What's your name?" 

"Sherlock... Please - please don't make me stay here..."

He nodded, telling me to get in his car. His wife was going to Bart's for her final prenatal checkup, and I was welcome to come along.

I shivered in the back seat, as he tried to ask me questions. I couldn't speak for my rapid hyperventilating. My heart beat wildly, as the car seemed to spin around me.

Fuck,

Sherlock! Quit being a traumatized Omega!

I tried to hold it together as my vision started to blur, and my skin grew cold and clammy, and I forgot why the hell I was in this strange car...

"Sherlock, we're here," the Beta said, but where was here? I tried to climb out of the car, but sharp pain shot through my right arm as I tried to move it.

I finally managed to get out of the vehicle, only to stumble into a sturdy man who held me up as my legs stopped working. He scooped me up in his arms, shouting, "Stay with me! Don't go to sleep!" He carried me in his strong arms, and the most delectable Alpha scent filled my nose.

"I - I'm Shherrlock..." I slurred, as I was placed on a lumpy bed, and swaddled in warm blankets. Mmm. This was nice. The Alpha's hands rubbed briskly over my body, getting my blood flowing, and I yelped in pain as he touched my right arm.

"Shit. We'll need to treat the shock before we can set the bone."

I felt my sanity slowly return to me as I was covered in a whole pile of blankets, and hooked up to a saline IV. The lovely doctor stayed with me as I was given large amounts of hot broth, and injected with medication to combat the shock.

Soon, I was well enough to tell the doctor what happened. 

"Sherlock, I'm Dr John Watson. Can you tell me why you have a spiral fracture, abrasions to your face, and were in severe shock when I saved you?" He gently started to clean the blood from my face, and applied a salve to the broken skin.

"My landlord almost succeeded in raping me." I tried to calm my rapid pulse as I thought about how close Jim had come to forcing...

Gods above. 

"Well, you're safe now, alright? I won't hurt you." Dr Watson started to scrub his hands with disinfectant, and I watched in interest as he rolled up his sleeves. He also had a large Soulmark on his arm, I noticed, it looked eerily similar to...

It was the exact same as mine.

Fuck.

"J-John... I have a Soulmark too..." I mumbled as he glanced over. I carefully shifted my left arm out from under the blankets, and let him roll up my sleeve, as my right arm still needed to have the bone set. He softly gasped in wonderment, as he held his right arm next to mine, and the identical Soulmarks aligned perfectly. "I'm... I'm sorry if I'm not exactly what you expected your Omega to be like... A lot of people say that I should have been a Beta."

"Sherlock, I... I'm not going to force you into something that you don't want," he said at last. His large, strong hands gripped my hand tenderly, letting their warmth seep into my bones. "I don't have any expectations, I just want to keep you safe."

I let out a derisive snort, quipping, "John, I'm not going to be some pup making machine, I... I can't picture myself ever being a simple housewife. I'm sorry." I disengaged my hand from his, and wrapped the blankets around me once more.

"Sherlock, I was never expecting you to. I just want to know my mate, and make sure you have a good place to live. I... I want to care for you, in any way that you'll let me." 

I looked up at him, my heart lurching at the sight of the undisputed _hope_ in his eyes. He truly just wanted to make me his. "John, you could never truly love me. It's impossible for any neurotypical person to actually care for someone like me. I'm broken, and you can't fix me."

"Will you let me _try_ to love you? Will you let me make the call of whether or not I can fall for you?" He asked, a hint of a challenge in his tone. I looked away, biting back the comments I wanted to make.

"Nobody can fall for as big of a freak as I am, John. Why do you think I've never been kissed? Why would you ever want my problems in your pups?"

John growled softly, taking me in his arms, and placed my face directly on his scent gland. Tears fell from my eyes as I greedily inhaled his powerfully Alpha scent.

"They all knew that you're destined for me, Sherlock. Say whatever you want, you're _mine,_ Omega." He stroked my back as he buried his face in my shoulder, scenting me. "I don't want to lose you now that I've finally found you." He pulled away from my shoulder to look into my eyes, and growled possessively. "You're _mine."_

"I'm yours, Alpha. I'm yours." I whispered, knowing that I couldn't deny the call of my mate. I was meant for him, and I couldn't fight my Alpha when he so clearly wanted me.

I still never wanted pups, but I was starting to wonder if having him as my mate would be so bad...

My transport was betraying me with this man, and I cursed my Omega instincts.


	2. Alone is what I have, alone protects me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock fights a losing battle with his instincts and his heart.
> 
> Will he ever allow John to give him his love?

* * *

_°Sherlock°_

John finally left me alone after that, and I slowly continued to recover. Though of course the, sorry, _my_ Alpha came back every hour or so to check on me, making sure I was alright. He brought me some food from his lunch, and left his scarf in my room, seemingly by accident, but I knew better. He wanted me to familiarize myself with his scent.

I carefully reached out to the chair next to my bed, and grabbed the offending piece of material, pressing it to my nose and reluctantly inhaled. God... His scent was powerful, masculine, and had an unexpected edge of patchouli and coffee. It made my body relax, calming me in this anxiety inducing setting.

I hated how much I needed him.

During his many visits, John asked me all about my life, my interests and job; he seemed to be intrigued by me, asking questions about anything he wasn't familiar with, and freely gave me information about himself. Which of course made my transport betray me even further, as my body relaxed of its own accord every time he entered the room.

I began to find myself thinking about his expressive eyes, and the wonderful sincerity he put into his praises of me on a regular basis. And, of course, I couldn't help stop myself from wondering if these flutterings in my chest were the beginnings of a romantic attachment to John. I'd noticed a long time ago that I often longed to find my Alpha, but not for the easing of my heats.

I... I simply wanted someone that I could trust without reservations. I wanted a person who would look at me without the fear and disgust plain on their face. I'd had feelings of being incomplete, as I saw happy couples getting married. Those days were the ones when my Soulmark would throb and burn, as my aching heart told me I deserve that happiness.

But the only person who could ever put up with me was Mycroft. He alone could understand that I never understood why people felt certain things. That I was firmly on the autism spectrum, and I was never going to be cured of that.

Because he was the same.

I had long since built a wall around myself, creating a persona of being a high functioning sociopath, so that I could easily explain away my actions. I had learned that it was better to be alone, because when you're alone, no one can hurt you. Alone protects me, so that I would never have to rely on someone else to give me meaning, and then realize that the person I had loved didn't love me anymore.

But these insidious thoughts about John Watson kept me awake that night, only giving me a raging inner turmoil as I remembered my deductions. I knew that John was loyal to his loved ones, and he would never intentionally hurt me.

The question was, could I be falling in love with my soulmate?

* * *

_°Sherlock°_

Greg came to visit in the morning, concerned about what happened to me.

"Sherlock," the Alpha growled; unlike with John, I felt my hackles raise in defiance as he glared at me. "I'd told you that place was completely unsafe. But you insisted. Did you ever think about me? And your brother, how worried he was, that you were living in a place crawling with unmated Alphas? I swear, when you get out of here-"

"Don't try and make me feel guilty for almost getting raped, Greg. I have been though enough in the past twenty four hours, from being treated for shock, to finding my fucking _Alpha._ " I growled, wiping away the tears of bitter rage. I was so angry, mostly because I knew that my life was going to change dramatically with this new development. I had always been independent, never needing anyone else. But with the arrival of John Watson, I felt my priorities shifting, gradually feeling the desire for a simpler life, and perhaps having pups wouldn't be the worst idea on the planet.

It was this fucking Soulmark. I knew that as soon as I had finally found John, I would never be the same. It was pure biology, that the pair who shared a Soulmark would begin to form emotional attachments to each other, as soon as they had scented one another.

"Sherlock, no, please don't cry... I'm sorry, I was just worried about you... I didn't mean to..."

John came hurrying into the room, and I smelled his distress. He was rubbing his arm, where his Soulmark was, as if he was in pain."Sherlock, are you alright? I just got this urge to check on you."

I rested my forehead on my drawn up knees, and silently sobbed into the thin blankets covering my legs. "I can't..." I gasped, my body heaving with the force of my sobs. I only cried harder when John took me in his arms and let me scent him, the small dose of hormones released into my bloodstream made my out of control emotions even more overwhelming.

"Sshhh, love, I've got you. It's alright, I promise." John placed a tender kiss to my hair, as he gently rocked us back and forth. I felt him turn to Greg with a small growl. "Leave him alone, inspector. He's in enough pain as is." I slowly calmed, as John continued to hold me his arms, soothing me. "I've got you now, no one will ever hurt you again."

"John, I don't understand. Why do you want to be with me?" I needed to know. It was so important that I understand why he chose me, out of all the other Omegas he's met.

"Because we're meant for each other, Sherlock. You were meant for me since the day you were born. The gods don't give Soulmarks to people without a reason, and I'm not going to let my Omega run away because he doesn't think he is deserving of love. You are my soulmate, Sherlock Holmes." John pulled away from me, sitting on the edge of my bed and running his fingers through my hair.

"John, I don't think you understand how broken I am. No one but my brother can even put up with me. I don't have any friends, I've never been able to find anyone who tolerates my behavior." I sniffled, trying to keep myself calm.

I tried to deduce John, to see if I could handle being his Omega. He had an Alpha sister, who had been picking out his outfits for him, and he played the guitar. He does a lot of writing, and has a strong dislike of following what was socially required. Most importantly, he was strongly protective of what he considered to be his.

"That was amazing, Sherlock! How did you know all of that?"

Shit, I was deducing out loud again.

"I deduced it, John. That's why most people hate me. That's why everyone calls me a freak." I shifted away from him on the narrow bed, curling in on myself.

John sighed, and moved closer. "Sherlock, you're not a freak. You are a genius." He wrapped his arms around me again, holding my lanky frame together. "I'm not going anywhere, Sherlock. I promise."

"John, I have Asperger's." I froze as he kissed my neck and murmured that he was still staying with me. "John, I..."

"Sherlock, I don't care if you have Asperger's. It made you the way you are. I promise I will try to be a good Alpha, if you'll have me." He gently rubbed my back, soothing me. "Sherlock, you're set to be released today, and I really don't want you to go back to your flat. It's not safe. I-I want you to live with me and my family."

There it was, that damn _hope_ in his eyes, as I shakily nodded. No one else has ever looked at me like this before. Nobody else has ever thought anything about me was more than just revolting. "Of course, John. I will live with you."

_°John°_

I went home that night with my mate, and on our way, I brought him to his flat to get his clothes and possessions. I was appalled by the place that my beautiful Omega used to live in, and guarded the door while he packed his belongings. I hoped that Greg had already arrested the landlord for what he'd done, so that I wouldn't be tempted to break my Hippocratic oath. 

I desperately wanted to kill the Alpha who did that to my mate.

Once Sherlock's scant amount of bags were back in the cab, I took his hand, rubbing small circles onto the back. "Sherlock, I don't want to force you into anything. Just tell me if you don't like me doing something. I want you to be happy."

I could smell his scent, the lavender, peach and musky scent that made me want to bury my face in his scent gland. But I knew that he probably wouldn't want me to do that, he only scented me when I placed my neck right under his nose. 

I smelled the change in his scent as we pulled up to my parents house, and he was distressed about this. I murmured reassuring words, as I opened the door, carrying his bags.

"Mum! I'm home!" I called, as I set Sherlock's bags by the stairs. I heard her soft singing coming from the kitchen, and it was then that I saw Sherlock was visibly trembling. I soothingly rubbed his uninjured arm, as I helped him adjust his sling.

He reluctantly followed me to the kitchen, and my mum turned, taking out her headphones and putting the last dish into the drainer. She took a few steps forward, only to frown in worry, as my Omega shrank away, taking a step back.

"Hello, Sherlock. I'm Helen. I'm John's mother. I... I won't hurt you..." My mum looked like she was hearing someone beat a puppy, as Sherlock took another step behind me, clutching the back of my shirt. I felt his tears dampen my shirt, and I placed my hand over his.

"Who did this to you, dear?" I opened my mouth to explain, but she silenced me with a look. "No, John I don't mean the injuries." She looked back at Sherlock, asking, "Who traumatized you so badly, that you think I would ever hurt my son's Omega?"

Mum gently stepped forward again, and carefully took Sherlock in her arms, letting him smell her warm, motherly scent. "I'll never hurt you." She softly stroked his back, as my mate sobbed into her shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." He was not making any sense as he apologized over and over.

"It's alright," Mum soothingly said, as she stroked his curls, trying to make up for a terrible childhood. "I hope I can be the mum you need, Sherlock. Let yourself be happy here. You deserve it."

_°Sherlock°_

John took my bags to the spacious guest suite, and I sat down on the large bed after he'd left, lost in my thoughts.

I didn't understand what I was feeling about all of this. The closest approximation I had was that I felt safe here. I didn't feel like I was going to be a nuisance to Mrs Watson or John. They were both so kind, and I had the soft feelings towards Helen that I also have towards Mycroft. I loved them, like they were the replacement of my parents, who never cared about me. They showed me the softness and care I normally didn't receive.

For some reason, John's mother treated me like her son. I gradually noticed that over the next few weeks. She, and the rest of my mate's family, were always smiling and laughing. His parents loved both John and Harry equally. They didn't have to compete with each other for affection. I was bewildered by the open expressions of love I saw, and the way they extended the warmth to me.

 _Greg_ put me on house arrest until I was fully healed from the attack, and wouldn't even let me have cold cases to occupy myself with. Said I need to 'rest and recover'. 

I ended up spending a lot of time with Helen, and I took notes on what she did to make her Alpha happy, and I tried to replicate the results with John. Helen reminded me of a gentle little bee, my favorite creature, in the way she buzzed about the house, cooking and cleaning, always cheerfully singing as she worked.

I tried to take a lesson from her on how to please your Alpha with domesticity. However when I asked one afternoon, "Mum, w-would John like it, if I did this for him? Would he want me to be like this, for him?"

Helen sighed, putting down the rolling pin, and taking my flour covered hands in hers. "Sherlock. You don't need to change for John. I'm a good Omega for my Richard, but John isn't his father. He wants you to be Sherlock Bloody Holmes, not Helen Watson."

I swallowed thickly, and tried to put into words how much I wanted to please John. But I didn't know how to do that. "Mum, the only thing about me that is traditional Omega is my heats. I-I don't look like an Omega, with wide birthing hips and soft curves. I don't know how to please my Alpha, I don't understand..." I pulled my hand out of her grasp, to itch at the cast, hating it.

"Sherlock, do you know that John loves you? Is _in_ love with you?" I looked up at her, eyes wide and pleading, begging her to explain. "He is, Sherlock. But not because of the housewife duties, he's in love with you because of your brilliant mind. _And,_ I happen to know that he sneaks admiring glances at you when he thinks no one is looking." She smiled tenderly at me as my tears made tracks in the flour on my face.

"I I think I love him too, Mum. I love his kindness, and how much he wants to spend time with me. I love how he soothes me." 

Something resonated in my mind then, a phrase Myc had said when he spoke of Greg's family.

He'd said that each person has two families - the one that were born into, and the one they belong with. The one that we are born into is not necessarily the family that will love and cherish us the most. The one we belong with is the family who will always care for and love us.

I knew then that I belonged with the Watsons just as they belong with me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was fluffier than the next one, but I can assure you that the next is going to be VERY smutty. Plus a bit of fluffiness.


	3. I'm So Very Far From Fine,

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sherlock goes into his first heat in years, but luckily he has John, the kindest Alpha he could ask for.

_°Sherlock°_

"Sherlock, love, I picked up your meds from the pharmacy."

John had just gotten home from his work, and I wished to the gods that I could return to my own work soon, as I was rapidly growing bored at home. I enjoyed talking to Mum immensely, don't get me wrong, but I needed a bit more stimulation than the simple household duties.

I muttered a quick thank you, as I opened the small pill bottle and took my suppressant, noticing a slightly different taste than the previous prescription my physician gave me. I put it out of my mind, knowing that she would never let me go into heat unexpectedly.

"John, I..." I'd been debating on whether or not to tell him my feelings towards him, knowing that I was falling for the good doctor, and had been since the day that I met him. We _are_ soulmates after all. But I hadn't been aware of the true depth of the love until I thoroughly examined the sensations I had a week ago.

"Do you want to watch a movie, Sherlock? I know for a fact that _Murder on the Orient Express_ is on soon." He smiled broadly as I nodded.

I'd find a way to tell him sooner or later.

* * *

I woke up a week later, feeling slightly ill, but I pushed through the clamminess and shaking hands because today I was finally able to go back to work. I couldn't have been more relieved, but of course I was not eager for the paperwork. Or dealing with the two idiot Betas, Donovan and Anderson. But I would gladly deal with a hundred of them to be able to do the work my brain needs.

John had left me a sweet note on the milk, knowing that I would see it as I made my morning coffee. He was simply letting me know that this week would be the last week of his residency, and then he would be able to spend a bit more time with me during the day. I traced the loving words as I sipped my drink, and I softly smiled to myself, earning a knowing glance from Mum. I found myself thinking about John being home with a sense of joy. I missed my Alpha badly.

* * *

"Sherlock." Greg had put me on desk duty when I returned to Scotland Yard, but I knew that I could go back to the field. Yes, I was feeling a little under the weather, but it was perfectly manageable.

I itched beneath my collar, my usually soft shirt feeling rough and uncomfortable.

"Sherlock, _go home._ I don't want one of the other Alphas here to suddenly lose their self control and rape you like Jim tried to."

I looked up at my brother-in-law, utterly confused as to what he meant. "Greg, I'm perfectly fine. I'm feeling a little bit -"

"Like you're going into heat? Trust me, every Alpha in a one mile radius can smell you. You're raging pheromones are making even _me_ feel like rutting into you. The only reason I have kept everyone away is because you have an Alpha."

I frowned at him, not understanding what he was talking about. I'd been in heat before, I know the signs.

I felt a tiny flutter in my lower stomach when I caught a whiff of his Alpha scent. And a stronger one as I scented the others in the building. Gods above.... 

I tried to restrain a whine, saliva pooling in my mouth. Fuck. I was most likely going into the first heat I'd had in years.

" Call John. Now. The hospital will be understanding if he tells them that his mate is in estrus. For fuck's sake, go home, Sherlock."

I pulled out my mobile, standing up and leaving the office without bothering to close my files or power down my computer. John's number was on my speed dial, and I punched it as I climbed into a cab.

"Sherlock, are you alright? I'm going to be getting off of work soon." His husky voice wormed its way into my brain, making me shiver uncontrollably.

"John, I... My suppressants were apparently changed, the new ones aren't strong enough. I'm going into heat right now... Please come home." I felt my entrance flutter, and a small amount of slick seep from me as a fresh wave of hormones flooded my system.

"I'm coming home right now, hold on." He hung up without another word, and I threw money to the cabbie as I scrambled out of the car. I half ran across the sidewalk and into my home, bolting to John's room as my trousers grew damp with my slick.

Hurry, John...

* * *

_°John°_

I entered the house cautiously, and found Mum and Dad leaving, with a few suitcases, just as I came home. "Mum?"

"Your father and I are going to be visiting your Aunt Judy for a week, and Harry is going to stay with her girlfriend, Clara. Take care of your Omega, John. Sherlock managed to tell us that he hasn't had a heat in years, so he will need you now." They left me standing in the foyer, worried about my mate. I sniffed, and felt my cock twitch at the pure need I smelled in Sherlock's scent.

I walked down the hallway, growing rapidly harder as the pure pheromones of my mate flooded the air. "Sherlock?" I stopped at the door to my bedroom, just down the hall from his, and I could hear laboured breathing on the other side of the partly open door.

"John..." He moaned my name, inviting me in, and his scent hit me like a ton of bricks when I stepped into the room. If I wasn't fully engorged by just smelling his heat, I would have been just seeing my mate spread across my bed, fully nude.

He looked at me with the most desperate expression on his face, and I quickly stripped, my large and heavy erection springing free. I stepped to the end of the bed, and my cock twitched as Sherlock begged me with his eyes.

"John, John, please, it's too much... I need you, Alpha, _please._ " He was just a quivering mess, as I settled on top of him, our members just millimeters away from each other.

"Sherlock, are you sure?" I asked, before I did anything else. I knew that dubious consent and heats went hand in hand, and I didn't want him to hate me if I helped him through the heat.

"Yes, John, I want it. I want your knot. Please, Alpha, give me it..." 

He let out a desperate wail as I began to stroke his cock, which was surprisingly large for an Omega. It took everything I had in me not to give in to the rut, when he moaned my name again.

"Sherlock. I don't want to be just an Alpha who will get you through this heat. You're my mate. Start acting like it." I let out a deep growl as I eased myself inside his loose, leaking entrance. He cried out lustily, pumping his hips upwards. "Sherlock, were bloody _Soulmarked._ "

"John, I promise I'll be a good Omega. I'll be your Omega. I just need your knot. Please, John." He was babbling, as I began to thrust into his warm wetness, and I let out a soft moan.

"I love you, Sherlock." I laved my tounge over the hard nubs of his nipples, fucking him with abandon as I worked my way to his mouth. He panted and gasped, moving his his in time with mine, and I growled against his pulse point, "Do you have any idea how long I've waited to tell you that? I wanted it to be special. I love you, Sherlock Holmes."

Suddenly I was aware of a wetness hitting my cheek, and I pulled my face backwards to look at my mate. He had tears pouring from his eyes as I relentlessly pounded into him, and I realized that he was crying as I fucked him. My knot was slowly inflating, but I knew that I couldn't do that to him while he was like this.

"I love you too, John. I've been trying to tell you for a week, but I didn't know how. Don't - Don't leave me..." He wrapped his legs around my hips, changing the angle of my thrusts just enough to push my swollen knot inside him, hitting his sweet spot with every thrust. "Yes, yes! John!" He came all over our stomachs, and his entrance tightened up around my cock, tipping me over the edge. I let go, filling him with my release, and settled us down, my swollen knot keeping us still connected.

On my way home, I had stopped at the drug store, and picked up the necessary pills so that there would be no pups, _this time._

"Sherlock?" I asked as he relaxed in my arms. "Are you going to be alright?"

"John... I wanted to be given your bond mark..." He whispered brokenly, turning his face away from me, and a last year fell. "I-I won't presume that you want to... I thought..." He wiped his eyes, trying to let me know that he wouldn't try to make me stay.

"Sherlock, you silly Omega, I will give you my bond mark. Next round, if you want. I love you so much, darling." I saw him in the dim light from the hallway turn back to me, and smile weakly. "As soon as I finish my residency, we'll move in to the cottage my gran left me, it's on the Sussex Downs. You'll love it."

"I'm sure I can put in my resignation," he murmured, as my knot deflated, and I slipped out of him, along with a flood of semen and natural fluids. "I want to be a good Omega, John."

"Then try to be transferred to the Fulworth police station. I fell in love with a brilliant sergeant, not a housewife." I kissed him gently, letting all of my love fill it.

"John... I love you so much."

"I love you too, my foolish Omega."


	4. Believe Me, I'm Fine...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Sherlock finally can relax, as each know that the other loves him, and maybe a pup or two wouldn't be the worst idea on the planet...

_°Sherlock°_

I wasn't completely sure if John truly meant the soft, loving words he had said during my heat, the sweet talks about the life we would build together. Or the reassurances that, even as everything around us changed, we would stay as we are. But, I duly signed the papers for my transfer to the constable position near Fulworth.

As soon as I arrived at work, I caught the glances at John's bond mark placed over my scent gland, and how much the Alphas in the Met seemed jealous that I had a mate. I adjusted the gold and silver engagement ring on my finger, and began to pack up the small office supplies from my desk, grinning to myself when I caught Donovan and Anderson's surprised - and if I was correct, disgusted - looks at my mark. 

Greg approached me before long, the first person to actually work up the nerve, and asked me about my mate. "Sherlock, you really agreed to this? You weren't just caught up in the moment, with your heat raging, and let him do that to you, because, you know, Omega instincts?"

I gave him a small smile, quipping, "John shares my Soulmark. It would be foolishness on my part if I denied that I love him. It took me a while to understand, but John is the only Alpha that I could see myself being with. Now that I know him better, I can see how much we were made for each other. Greg, you and Mycroft don't need to be worrying about me anymore. Believe me, I'm fine."

I finished filling up the file box with my things, mentally reminding myself that John had a cleaning service attend to the cottage in Sussex, and that I would need to get a few things done before we leave. I would have to ask my mate when exactly he planned to start packing up our stuff. 

"Have you been keeping Myc in the loop on all of this? I mean, I know my husband seems to know every little thing that goes on in the country, but he might want to hear it from you..." Greg looked like he was going to actually miss me when I left. Odd, because I was nothing more than a pain in the arse to everyone except John. I puzzled over the new information on my brother's husband, until he gently patted my shoulder and left.

* * *

_°John°_

I unlocked the door to my small cottage in the Sussex Downs, situated near the small town of Fulworth. Sherlock had started to get comfortable with the place, when he actually saw it, he'd apparently thought it was going to be some huge manor, or something. My silly Omega was relieved to know that the cottage was just a cottage, yes we had a large lot of land surrounding the house, but it had just three small bedrooms, an open main floor, and a small she'd to one side.

"This is rather homey," my fiancee murmured, as he trailed his hand over the back of the worn leather couch. I flipped on the lights, and smiled when he looked at me over his shoulder, adding, "It's very _you._ "

"Yeah, my Gran and I were oddly similar: practical and simple. She insisted that I bring my Omega here when I meet him, she'd been the only one who would give me any hints about you. I know she would have loved to meet you." 

I went to Sherlock, taking my sweet love into my arms and kissing his neck. She would have been so caring about my mate, and I wished that Gran was still here.

Sherlock nuzzled my neck, and rested his forehead on my shoulder. "This would be a good place to raise a few pups, John. And maybe we could have a few beehives in the back..." He gripped my waist, as I tried to pull away to see his expression. "In a few years, of course. I want to be with you for a while before bringing a child into the mix."

"Sherlock, if that's what you want, then I would love to have a few children. And as long as you are careful, then I suppose a few beehives in the back wouldn't be out of the question, as long as you are happy." I buried my face in his scent gland, drinking in his lovely smell. "If you really want to go ahead and settle down, then I would never stop you from that. I just want you to do what you want, not what you think I want you to do."

"I love you, John."

"I love you too, Sherlock. I always will."

* * *

_°Sherlock°_

"Come on, Hamish! Let's go swimming, it's so nice in here!" I called to our son from the shallow crystal clear pool on the pebbly beach near our little cottage on the Sussex Downs. John urged our toddler towards me, and I beamed when he began to take a few small steps into the water. I put a hand on my barely noticeably pregnant belly, and laughed in delight when Hamish started to splash about.

"Papa!" He cried out, pointing out to the ocean. "Boat!" John laughed, while I scooped up my son and rested him on my still non-existent hip. Giving birth hadn't widened me that much, though I was glad that I didn't need a C-section to become a parent. Turned out that my slim hips easily fit a child.

I carried my boy over to his loving father, settling down on the soft blanket that we had picnicked on earlier, before I decided to go for a swim. 

I looked out to the ocean as I reclined in John's embrace, seeing the numerous small fishing boats scudding about the English Channel, my hand resting on top of John's which laid on my thigh. It was getting late in the day, and nearing Hamish's bed time, so I made an executive decision, and began to tell a story.

I spun a tale about a proud, independent sea captain, an Omega by birth, but he'd refused to find the Alpha who he needed. The sea captain traveled all over the seven seas, but was lured to shore by s handsome doctor, which led to his ultimate happiness as the doctor who had the most wonderful scent, seemed to want him just as badly.

"And when Captain Holmes knew that as soon as he saw the house crest adorning Dr John's arm, that he couldn't resist it any longer. The once proud and headstrong Omega felt the calling of his softer nature, and followed the doctor to land, living the rest of his days with the Alpha who he was meant for. The Alpha taught him so much about love, and that caring about the people around you was the greatest advantage you could ever have against a world so unkind."

As I was crafting the allegorical tale of my falling for John, we began to pack up the beach toys, and trudge up the slope of the chalk cliff, arriving back at the house just as the sun set.

"Was that a true story, Papa?" Hamish Watson asked, while I made sure he was tucked in completely. "Captain Holmes and Dr John, were they real?"

"They are. But the real story is a bit different than my fairytale. One day, you'll get to hear the story about the Omega named Holmes and his Alpha Dr John without the edits." I kissed my son on the forehead, and then crawled into bed nextdoor in mine and John's room, after getting the salty swimming trunks off, and a soft pyjama set on.

"You tell a good story, Sherlock. But did you really believe once that caring for people wasn't an advantage?" John began to pull me in, nestling me in the curve of his body, and he traced light circles on my stomach, just as our daughter gave her gentle fluttering kicks.

I sighed softly, because I didn't know how to explain the way my mind rationalized things before I met my sweet husband.

His nose brushed the back of my neck, and his breath ruffled the short curls there. "Stop thinking so much, Sherlock. I love you, and I always will. I know that you were scared and alone before. But now you have me, and Hamish, you've finally gotten close to your brother and Greg, and we're expecting another little bundle of joy in just five months."

"I know John. I know how much I love and need this so much. I'd just grown up so... Alone. But this is so much better, so much more than I have ever dreamed of. John, for our five year anniversary, I think we should renew our vows. I want to marry you again, now that I've seen how truly wonderful you are."

"You've only got seven months to plan a whole wedding, love. Are you truly up for the task?"

"For you, I can take on the world."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with this one, I think I won't be writing another Omegaverse fic anytime soon...
> 
> The tag I added, "Will people ever stop criticizing my smut?" pretty much sums up the reason why.
> 
> Well, until next time,
> 
> Typewrittencurlie.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [A Learning Process](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24616642) by [The_girl_from_the_river](https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_girl_from_the_river/pseuds/The_girl_from_the_river)




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